


Late Nights and Re-Heated Dinners

by makingitwork



Series: Bughead Prompts [38]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: AU, Angst, Daughters, Domestic Bliss, Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Happy Ending, Journalist Betty, They love each other, bamf cheryl, bughead - Freeform, dad jughead, family life, married bughead, mom betty, no break ups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-03 21:09:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15826983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingitwork/pseuds/makingitwork
Summary: Cheryl comes along like a red-vision to fix Betty and Jughead's marriage.





	Late Nights and Re-Heated Dinners

**Author's Note:**

> Enjoy!

Betty cursed under her breath, scraping her hair back into her ponytail as quickly as she could. It didn't come out evenly, and she grabbed a handful of hair clips as she raced out of the bedroom. Her phone buzzed again in her pocket and she set the clips down onto the counter with a clatter as she reached out to check it. She cursed again, sliding as many as she could into her hair whilst simultaneously trying to respond. She rushed over to the dining room and started cramming all her papers from last night into her bag. 

She heard laughter coming from the kitchen, and she smacked herself in the forehead. "Juggie!" She called frantically, scrunching the tablecloth into her hands when she couldn't find her memory stick. She ducked underneath the table and was relieved to see it shining beside one of the wooden legs.

"Yeah, hun?" He called back. She banged her head on the way up, and winced. 

Zipping up her bag, she jogged into the kitchen. Jughead was spoon feeding Hazel, who was gurgling happy in her high chair, and Heather was squiggling with her crayons; five years old and dressed for school in her green summer dress. Her husband looked up with a smile, before taking in her frazzled state. His green eyes were concerned. "Work again?" 

Betty nodded, reaching for the car keys. "I'm going to have to take the car now. Okay?"

He looked towards the window hesitatingly, before nodding. "Sure, Betts. Don't let them work you to ha-"

"Bye!" She called over her shoulder, the door slamming loudly behind her. 

Jughead snorted, looking between his daughters. "Mommy's stressed, huh, girls?" 

Heather ignored him in favour of her drawing, and Hazel spit up a piece of banana.

...

...

...

Betty closed the door quietly behind her. The house was silent and she glanced at the clock. Past midnight. She winced, setting down her bags by the door. She tiptoed into the kitchen to see dinner waiting for her in the oven. She reheated it, shutting off the microwave just before it could ping, and sat down at the breakfast table in the dark. The house was framed by shadows like this, and even the kettle looked menacing. But Betty was too exhausted to be frightened. Work had become increasingly demanding ever since she'd headed back, but this was crazy. Her new promotion, everything she'd so longed for, was causing so much stress and fatigue. 

She ate without really tasting the food, and hoped the girls had eaten well too. As she washed up, she smiled a little at the cleanliness of the place. Jughead had clearly taken some care to straighten up. A quick peak into Heather's room revealed her little girl curled up on her side, princess blankets tucked up to her chin; fast asleep. The warm glow of her night light lit the room with a candescent glow. Betty blew her a kiss, before heading to the nursery. Hazel was on her back, little feet kicking as her mobile spun over her. The little crown plushie levied the weight of it one way so the circles were wonky, but it was Hazel's favourite one all the same. She reached down, making sure to keep her ponytail behind her, to kiss her forehead. 

She wondered whether Hazel had been difficult to put down, she used to fuss so much. On weary legs, she staggered towards their bedroom. The door creaked a little, and she cringed, peeling off her clothes. Too tired to get into pyjamas she decided to sleep naked. Her breasts were sore from being in a bra all day and as she collapsed onto the cool sheets on her side of the bed, she groaned in relief. They were bliss against her skin. Jughead stirred beside her, shuffling a little and sliding up to her, his hand resting on her bare stomach as he kissed her temple. 

"Whatimesit?" He slurred in a sleepy voice, his hand curling around her waist. 

"Late," Betty whispered, cuddling into him. He seemed to register her state of undress, and hummed a little. His fingers trailed up to her ribs and then down to her thighs. He made a small noise of arousal as he pressed a wet kiss into her neck but she pulled away. "I'm really tired, Juggie," she whispered tiredly into the darkness. He nodded, clearing his throat. 

"Sorry," he murmured, flopping onto his back and yawning. "Night, Betts." 

She was already asleep. 

...

...

...

Words, try as she might, just weren't coming. Three emails stressing the importance of her latest piece and she sat at the dining table, fingers poised over the keys but nothing would come out. She could hear Jughead and Heather running around the living room; Hazel squealing loudly with glee, and she pressed her fingers against her temples, feeling the oncoming headache. "Jug!" She called, glaring at the bank page. "Can we tone it down just a bit?"

The sound of something clattering to the ground made her roll her eyes. "Uh, sure!" He called out, before dissolving into laughter at the same time as Heather. A part of her longed to go and join them, but the pressure on her shoulders wouldn't ease. She could feel it. Like anxiety balling itself just under her skin and it refused to leave her alone. 

Another scream of delight pushed her to her breaking point. She stood up and marched into the living room to see Jughead on his back on the floor with Hazel balanced on his chest as Heather jumped over his legs repeatedly, counting as she did so. Peppa Pig was playing in the background, a repetitive song was all Betty could decipher, and mess everywhere.

"Hi, mommy!" Heather hollered, waving manically so she tripped over her father's ankles; face first into the pillow fort that had been built before the sofa. Jughead craned his neck around the babbling babe, and smiled at her. His face was apologetic and, she could note distantly, very handsome. 

"Come to join us?" He asked with a grin. Betty swallowed against a wave of frustration. 

"I have so much to do, Jug. These deadlines are insane-"

He frowned, shaking his head as he sat up, cradling Hazel in his arms. "They don't appreciate you there, Betts. Just leave. Wait until the right job comes along, we don't need the money-"

He made it sound so  _easy._ "Jug, this is the position I've wanted my whole life! My _dream._ " She ran her fingers through her hair. "I need some quiet to work, okay?" Her voice wavered a little. " _God,_ I just wanna get this done." The please went unsaid, but heard.

He understood the desperation in her voice and nodded, getting to his feet. "Okay, Heather, wanna go to the park with daddy?"

The little blonde gasped in pure delight. "Yes!" She exclaimed, as if it were obvious.

He ruffled her hair. "Go and get your shoes, okay?" She nodded eagerly, rushing into her bedroom, her pink sundress fluttering out behind her. He set about putting Hazel into something warmer, and Betty lingered in the doorway. 

She bit her bottom lip. "You do get it, Jug? I don't mean to be-"

"I get it, Betty," he assured her. "You're stressed, it's okay." He strode across the room in three long steps, and kissed her cheek softly. "Take all the time you need, alright?" 

When the house was empty, she sat at the table and tried to write. 

Words, as they seemed to be doing lately, failed her. 

...

...

...

In the haze of work and exhaustion, someone appeared like a vision to give her life some clarity. 

"Ow!" Betty exclaimed, pulling away from the sting of Cheryl's thwack. "What the hell, Cheryl?" She cried in outrage.

The perfectly poised red head ignored Betty's hurt, and waltzed into the office. It was long since empty, everyone else having head home hours ago, but not Betty. She stayed dutifully at her desk, working away and getting ahead. "I went to see my dear cousin in law today, Betty," Cheryl began, pulling off her long red leather gloves. She looked incredibly daunting; a vision of absolute style in the grubby, clustered office that had become Betty's life. "And check in with my adorable nieces, of course. I came bearing presents for you all. Can you imagine my surprise to find you absent?"

Betty sighed, clicking her pen. "I had to work late-"

"The table was only set for three." She cut her off, her voice was clipped. She had no time for Betty's excuses. "The rings under your husband's eyes, Betty Cooper. He's exhausted, too. Lord knows why you don't talk to each other," she rolled her eyes, levelling Betty with a fierce look. "If you don't want to lose him, you'll fix this."

The blonde frowned. "Lose him? Like how?" Jughead was an adoring father and a loving husband. He'd never leave them. 

Cheryl rests her palms on the table, leaning so far forward the bottom of her tresses spilt along the surface. "He misses you, Betty.  _Idiot._ He's raising two kids by himself and he misses his wife!"

Betty crumpled miserably, rubbing her face. "I know. It's just until the end of the month and then-"

"Oh, the work will suddenly stop? There'll be no more impossible responsibilities for you to juggle?" Cheryl laughed in a faux-chipper tone, "Betty! Why didn't you say?" Her voice was laced thick with sarcasm. She softened it as she looked at her cousin's face. "Just...really look at him when you get home, Betty. However late that is. Just  _look_ at him. I know you're tired, he knows you're tired because you're a little bit smart and you tell him. He doesn't want to tell you. He doesn't want to burden you, but he  _needs_ you. He's an idiot, that's all." Cheryl turned, heading for the door, but she lingered to look at the endless stretch of cubicles that headed into the dark office. "He'd made duck for dinner. He hates duck. Maybe there were only three plates on that table, but he was hoping he could set four. If I had to choose between this," she gestured to the quiet grey darkness, "or the screaming, loving, laugh-fest that was your home?" She shrugged. "Life's too short, Betty dear. I say that with love." 

...

...

...

Betty was home late, but not because she'd been working. She'd been thinking. And then doing. And then sliding her letter of resignation under her boss's door. She'd crammed all her stuff into a box and loaded it into the car; no knots in her neck for the first time in months. By the time she'd pulled in, the lights were off and she had to tiptoe into the house. It smelt faintly of duck, and she smiled sadly to herself, Jughead had no doubt left her some in the oven. 

After checking on Hazel, she ducked into Heather's room, only for the little girls green eyes to blink at her. Her blonde curls soft against her forehead. "Mommy?" She whispered, and Betty made her way through the sea of toys on her floor, new ones from Cheryl mostly, to duck beside her bed. She brushed a curl behind her ear. 

"Hello, sweetheart," she whispered, and Heather snuggled into her pillow with a yawn. "Mommy's gonna get a new job. She's gonna be home more, with you," she bopped her daughter's nose, blinking back tears. 

Heather smiled sleepily. "You can play Spy Dudes with me and Daddy," she agreed, eyes fluttering shut. And that was that.

Betty laughed wetly, kissing her daughter's forehead and treading out into the hallway carefully. 

The lamp was on in the master bedroom, and her husband was fast asleep on top of the sheets. She did what Cheryl had suggested, and looked at him. The black marks under his eyes looked more visible than usual given the paleness of his skin. Betty frowned. He often forgot to eat vegetables; he'd make sure the girls had theirs and often neglect himself. She hadn't been there to remind him the past few months. He's lost his pallor. She sat down next to him, the mattress dipping. She lay her hand on his chest, and leaned down to kiss him softly. 

It made her _ache_. When was the last time she'd kissed him? 

He stirred slightly, waking up when he saw her face. "Betty," he whispered, reaching a hand up to touch hers. "Are you okay?"

She smiled, reaching down to kiss him again. He kissed back gently, hand moving to cup her cheek, but he was still confused. "I've quit my job," she whispered, and his eyes widened in surprise. Then they immediately became guarded and worried again.

"Betty," he shook his head, hair flopping into his forehead, "you didn't have to-"

She silenced him with a kiss, moving to straddle him. His hands found her waist immediately. God, she'd missed him. "Yes, I did, because we're a pair of idiots. But we're also a family. It's just a job, and I wasn't enjoying it," she shook her head. "So much for dreams, huh?" 

His mouth twisted into a pleased grin. "I dunno," he teased, "I got everything I ever wanted." 

She beamed down at him, before winking. "Almost," she whispered in a sultry voice, grinding down once. 

He groaned, looking up at her in awe. "You never left me did you, Betty Cooper?" 

She pressed a small kiss to his cheek. "Couldn't if I tried." 

**Author's Note:**

> Comment/prompt lovelies!


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